Mark Reale was born June 7, 1955 and only at 20 created the band Riot which is still active today. In fact, in August 2011 they had completed the final mixing of their album hauntingly "Immortal Soul" and were soon touring. They were getting ready for another round of shows and Mark then suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage that resulted in a coma on January 11, 2012 in San Antonio, Texas. He remained in the coma and subsequently passed away on January 25, 2012.
Mark Reale was often dubbed the Metal Warrior or one of the most underrated heavy metal guitarists. He really was incredible when he played. He was an excellent composer and created timeless metal music which would be enjoyed by many years to come.
Mark's bandmates released the following statement shortly after his passing: "To friends and fans of Mark Reale and Riot, we are deeply saddened to confirm that Mark lost his battle with a lifelong illness. Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated by Mark's family, friends, and bandmates at this difficult time."
My son Ryan who is 14 was familiar with Mark Reale and Riot. He of course got his interest in music at the young age of 7 or so. He had often listened to Riot's album "Fire Down Under" and instantly loved it. He was also hopeful for Mark's recovery from the coma and when he learned of his untimely death at 56, he quickly went to make his fan tribute video for Mark.
His song choice for the video is "Rain" by Riot and can be found on their album 'The Brethren of the Long House". It is a beautiful song and to see Mark's images throughout reminds us of what a great loss he is. But Mark's music will remain in our hearts as we pay homage to a great heavy metal guitarist!
Shine on Mark, Shine on!
~ Marisol
You can visit Mark Reale's webpage and leave your condolences or messages. www.MarkReale.com
Here is the video that Ryan made for Mark Reale.
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